Spherical type carrier apparatus and bearing yoke therefor



Oct. 24, 1967 B. CRAMER 3,348,649 SPHERICAL TYPE CARRIER APPARATUS AND BEARING YOKE THEREFOR Filed se t. 15, 1966 INVENTOR BER/VHARD CRAMfi R ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 348,649 SPHERICAL TYPE CARRIER APPARATUS AND BEARING YOKE THEREFOR Bernhard Cramer, Pforzheim, Germany, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 579,009 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 19, 1965, St 24,529 5 Claims. (Cl. 197-52) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spherical type carrier consists of two hemispherical shells which are capable of being swivelled with respect to an equatorial disc. The equatorial disc is rotatably supported in a bearing yoke which is capable of being swivelled within certain limits about its own axis. The three possible movements permit each of the characters arranged on the sphere to be brought into the print position.

The present invention relates to a spherical type carrier apparatus and more particularly to a spherical type carrier for typewriters and similar machines with firmly arranged types equally distributed throughout the entire surface, and devices for setting the same in dependence upon the respective type intended to be printed.

Spherical type carriers have the advantage over the hitherto conventional types of embodiments as type baskets, type-bar carriages, type cylinders, in that all setting processes may be traced back to rotary movements, and that the position of the masses effective during the printing process is not changed by the setting process.

In the German Patent No. 1,063,612 there is described a spherical type carrier on the surface of which the types are disposed along sever-a1 parallels of latitude. In this conventional type of construction the type carrier is rotatable about a vertical support, and is capable of being inclined within certain limits with respect to the support. Accordingly, within the range of the maximum angle of inclination, the types are arranged annularly, in superposed concentrical rims (rings) on the spherical surface. A considerable portion or area of the spherical surface, due to the restricted angle of inclination, remains unused in the neighbourhood of the poles. This restriction to a limited portion of the spherical surface requires, in order to accommodate a predetermined number of characters (types), a relatively large diameter of the spherical portion of the type carrier. This large diameter is not only determined by the number of types per rim (ring), but also by the fact that the angle of curvature of the surface becomes flatter as the diameter increases, thus calling for a greater space between the individual types in order to avoid the simultaneous printing of neighbouring types (characters, letters, figures). Since dimensioning of the minimum spaces must be made with respect to the types disposed in the rings near the poles, the rings near the equator, by accommodating the same number of types, will have greater spacing, whereas the polar ranges cannot be used at all.

These disadvantages can be avoided by employing the type carrier according to the present invention, in which almost the entire spherical surface is utilized. Moreover, a greater number of types can be accommodated although the spherical body has a comparably smaller diameter.

Because of the resulting smaller radius of gyration, it is possible to obtain shorter setting times and to accommodate further characters on the spherical surface, which is often desirable.

3,348,649 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 According to the present invention this is accomplished in that the type carrier consists of two hemispherical shells which are rigidly connected to one another and which are rotatable with respect to an equatorial disc arranged between them. The type carrier is also rotatable about pivot pins by swivelling the equatorial disc, with the pivot pins resting in a vertically standing and restrictedly rotatable bearing yoke, and the surface of the type carrier is subdivided into six type areas, corresponding to the surfaces of a written-in parallelepiped block.

The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing.

FIGURE 1 shows the spherical type carrier structure of this invention.

FIGURE 2 shows the bearing yoke structure of this invention which normally supports the spherical type carrier.

As may be recognized from the drawing, the spherical type carrier 1 consists of two hemispherical shells 2 which, in the manner still to be described in detail hereinafter, are capable of rotating with respect to an equatorial disc 3 arranged between the two halves. The equatorial disc 3 is provided with bearing pins 4 which rest in a freely rotatable manner in a vertically standing bearing yoke 8. The bearing yoke 8 itself is, in turn, capable of being swivelled within certain limits about its own support stud 9.

The surface of the two hemispherical shells 2 is subdivided into six type areas of equal shape and size. The boundaries of the type areas are constituted by the great circles 10 connecting points 11 of the spherical surface at which a parallelepiped block written into the ball structure 1, touches the surface. Each type area may thereby include for example, sixteen types in four superposed rows of four types each, with the lines being aligned to the great circles intersecting on the axis of rotation of the equatorial disc 3. Moreover, the six areas are in such a way divided among the two hemispherical shells that four of the type areas are bisected by the equatorial disc 3.

In order that the individual areas and the individual types contained therein may be optionally brought into the printing position, the hemispherical shells 2 are rotatable with respect to the equatorial disc 3, and the latter, about its bearing pins 4, is rotatable in the bearing yoke 8 which is likewise capable of being swivelled.

The equatorial disc 3 is provided with a double sided bearing bracket 3a in which a shaft 5 is pivoted. With the aid of and via this shaft 5, the two hemispherical shells 2 are rigidly connected to one another. Within the range of contact of the equatorial disc 3 the shells are concentrically guided. Firmly arranged on the shaft 5 is a rotating arm 6 which, in its normal position, is retained by the action of a spring 7 in abutment against a limit stop 3b. In opposition to the pull direction of this spring 7 a cable line 4d engages the rotating arm 6. Through a longitudinal bore 40 in one of the bearing studs 4, arm 6 is capable of being actuated from the outside to rotate the two hemispherical shells 2, with respect to the equatorial disc 3, by abutment of the arm 6 against the limit stop 3c, such that shells 2 are capable of being turned by exactly A 90 or rotation of the equatorial disc 3 may be made by an adjusting or setting device consisting of the roller (pulley) 4a and the cable line (rope) 4b. Each of the six type areas is now capable of being brought into the printing position.

The selection of the desired type is effected in the course of setting steps of the device 4a, 4b for selecting the line, whereas the associated column is selected by swivelling the bearing yoke 8 which is controlled by the setting or adjusting device 9a and 9b engaging the support stud 9. The selected and set type is thereafter printed in a known manner, with the printing movement being performed either by the type carrier itself or with the aid of a separate printing hammer.

The type in the individual type areas is positioned according to various points of view, provided care is taken that the types positioned in the polar areas can only assume a correct printing position in one of the two possible positions of setting which result from the rotatability of the spherical shell 1 with respect to the equatorial disc 3, in other words that either the two other positions of the spherical type carrier cannot be selected, or that in these positions a printing movement is suppressed.

While I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. Spherical type carrier apparatus comprising:

a pair of hemispherical shells having firmly arranged types equally distributed throughout the entire surface of said shells, and said shells being rigidly connected to one another;

an equatorial disc having firmly arranged bearing pins, and said disc being arranged between said shells, such that said shells are rotatable with respect to said disc;

a rotatable bearing yoke being adapted for swivel mounting said bearing pins, such that said spherical type carrier is capable of being turned about said bearing pins; and

means for setting said spherical type carrier in dependence upon the respective type intended to be printed.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said type carrier is subdivided into six type areas corresponding to the surfaces of a written-in parallelepiped block, and the types associated with the individual areas are arranged in rows in alignment with great circles which are twisted with respect to one another by equal angular amounts, such that the intersecting points thereof lie on the axis of rotation of said equatorial disc.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shells are rotated with respect to said disc by means of a cable line arrangement acting through the center of one of said bearing pins upon a setting member, said member being disposed inside of said spherical type carrier, such that the movement of said member is restricted by a pair of limit stops.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said member is retained in a normal position against one of said limit stops by a spring, and that the range of movement of said member to the other limit stop is 5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said equatorial disc bisects four of the six type areas.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 409,073 8/1889 Stover 19752 435,654 9/1890 Perry 19752 2,661,683 12/1953 Beattie 19752 X 2,905,302 9/1959 Hickerson 197-52 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. SPHERICAL TYPE CARRIER APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PAIR OF HEMISPHERICAL SHELLS HAVING FIRMLY ARRANGED TYPES EQUALLYL DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF SAID SHELLS, AND SAID SHELLS BEING RIDIDLY CON NECTED TO ONE ANOTHER; AN EQUATORIAL DISC HAVING FIRMLY ARRANGED BEARING PINS, AND SAID DISC BEING ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID SHELLS, SUCH THAT SAID SHELLS ARE ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISC; A ROTATABLE BEARING YOKE BEING ADAPTED FOR SWIVEL MOUNTING SAID BEARING PINS, SUCH THAT SAID SPHERICAL TYPE CARRIER IS CAPABLE OF BEING TURNED ABOUT SAID BEARING PINS; AND MEANS FOR SETTING SAID SPHERICAL TYPE CARRIER IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE RESPECTIVE TYPE INTENDED TO BE PRINTED. 